Garden tractor



F. A. AND R. D.v VALENTINE.

GARDEN TRACTOR. APPLICATIQN HLEDRovv 1V. |920.

PatentedSept. 12, 1922.v

4 SHEETShSH'EET l.

F. Al AND Rr D. VALENTINE. v

GARDEN TRACTOR. APPLICATION FILED NOV', Il. |920.

1,429,178, l PatentedSept. 12,1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

Hrm

Z-a Wen 80215 F. A. A ND R'. D. VALENTINE. GARDEN TRACTOR. APP'LICATION FILED NOV. 1|.I920. I 1,429,178. f Patentedsept. 12,1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922'.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

F. A.AND R. D. VALENTINE.

GARDEN TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. II.,I92o.

Patente Sept. l2, l.

rrtnnnroxa. vannnrmn' ann ROBERT n. vannav'rrnn, or MINNEAroLIs, MINNESOTA.

GEN TRACTOR.

Application nea November 11, i920. serial no. 423,300.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that we, FREDnroK A. VAL- ENTINE and ROBERT D. VALENTINE, citizens of the United States, residing at Minneapolis in the county4 of Hennepin and 'State of Minnesota, have invented certain new 'and useful Improvements in Garden Tractors; and we do-hereby Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and exactvdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in 'the art to which it appertans to make and use the same.

vOur invention relates to tractors, and

vmore particularly to that type of tractor frequently designated as a garden tractor and which, is adapted to be controlled through the manipulation of an oscillatory steering post, by a -person walking or riding at the rear of the tractor'.

A tractor of the above general type is exemplified in our pendin application Serial Number 364,011, filed March 8, 1920, and entitled Power driven cultivating machine. ln said type .of tractor, the main weight of the load is carried on rear traction Wheels driven from an engine on the tractor frame, through a differential gear mechanism, anda mlnor part of the loradv .is carried on front steering wheels that are mounted for oscillatory steering movements. A'Iheoscillatory steering movements ofthe front wheels are controlled-by oscillatory movements of a rearwardly extended steering post, which, in accordance with one feature ofthe invention, is`adapted to be either in .ajdirect rearwardly extended position orin' an oblique position atone side of the tractor, when set in aneutrall position, that is, in a position for straight ahead travel of the machine.

The tractor ispreferably designed ofv sufficient size and power tol draw 'a full-size plow, and when made of such size, .we have found, in practice, that the steering of the tractor, especially when pulling a heavy load and making a short turn, requires very vconsiderable power to be applied to the steering` post, so that the control of the travel of the tractor is not then an easy' matter and is objectionably tiresome to the operator.

-fAn important feature of the present inis to be made, and the power of the engine iis then brought into action to affect the completion or -continuation'of thel turning of the machine in the one direction or the other. In fact, the initial angular movement of the front wheels, in a direction to cause the traction to turn toward the left, for example, Will put the left-hand frictipn brake under frictional strain lto stop rotation of the left-hand traction wheel, while leaving the right-hand traction wheel free to be driven from thefengine through the differential gear mechanism-g and; when angulaimovements of the front wheel are increased for shorter turning of the tractor,

the left-hand brake will be set under increasing friction. rlhe converse statement in respectto turning of the machine vtoward the right is also true. Asl, another important novel feature,'there is provided asocalled steering gear centering device that.'

functionsto normally yieldingly hold the steering gear in a central or neutral position, for straight ahead travel of the tractor. Certain other novel features lwill hereinafter be noted and claimed.

In the drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts \throu`ghout the several/views.-

Referring to 4the drawings- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the some parts sectioned;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of one of .the traction- Wheels and the friction brake therefor;

. Fig..3 is a front elevation ofthe tractor; Fig. 4 is a plan view partly in diagram showing the rear portion ofthe tractor;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the pivotal connection between the Voscillatory steering post and the supporting frame and showing also certain associated partssome parts being sectioned on the line 5 5 of Fig., 6; Fig-6 is a section on the lineof Fig; 5; Y i a gf? is a view partly-1n side elevatl'\\i tractor, with but with some parts sectioned on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5;

- Fig. 8 is @fragmentary plan view illustratin va modified manner of applying'the so-cal ed steering gear oentralizer; and` Fig. is a fragmentary lront elevation of certain parts shown in Fig. 8.

The construction illustrated in the main views, towitz' Figs. to 7 inclusive, will first he desc'rilneda A rl `he tractor has a suitable framework, which, as shown,'comprises large hase casting` l0 and a forwardly extended 'll-- shaped rolled steel trame section ll, which parte are' rigidly connected. 7llhis framework is supported hy reartraction wheels l2 and angularly adjustable iront steering wheels i3. Mounted in suitable bearings on the hase casting l0 is a transverse rear axle ld, on one end `of which the right-hand traction wheel vllis loosely journaled and vto the other end oi2 which axle vthe other traction wheel l2 is rigidly secured. The 'two traction wheels are driven through a suitable differential gear mechanism, which,

Las shown, comprises two lacing nevel gears l5 and l@ a ear l? and 1nevel in-` rotates with latter noted ltraction y wheel.

Power 'lor driving the tractor will preferably he afforded hy a multi-cylinder internal comhnstion engine diagrammatically indicated Fig. l., supported ilrorn the :front portion ofthe section lt rllhe crank l is engine is connected to a trans .the rear portion ol which shalt ol 'mission 2o,

is journal-editi a hearing 2l on hase cast-v ahle'hearings on hase casti ing lll, isere/ended on said hear;

ing and, in the construction illustrated, is provided with .a per yl`his' lace ion l2@ a periphm eral fricti n wheel or'disl: secured to a short transverse. shaft 2t jonrnaled in snit and proihe pinion 25 secured on vided with aspur 'oinien 25. meshes with a sp` ear 26 that another short smit @il that is iournaled in hearings on the oase casting lll and is provided e spar pinion. 28 meshes with the esternalteetli oit the gear ll ot the. diilerential gear mechanism.

snitahle or well lrnowii 'ineens will he provided lor moving the friction wheel .22 toward and iront the exis Athe friction wheel 28, so as to produce variable speed' ot the tractor. However, it will loeunder- Vlel steering movements.. The trnnnions neral l-riction wheel 22.

'ing :rods vlll v"are pivot/ed.

nazaire wheels 13 are `journaled in the yolres oi wheel brackets 30, which, at their upper ends, ar provided with upright trnnnions 3l that are journaled in hearings 32 formed 'in the ends of a front axle 33.,l 'iF-his iront axle, at its central portion, is shown as pivotally connected to a. holster 34 that is rigidly secured to the front portion of the'lrame section ll, so that the -axle 33 may oscillate vertically and transversely of the machine to adapt all of the four wheels ofthe tractor always to maintain contact with the ground..

The pivotal connection between the ,axle 33 and the bolster 34 does not, however, permit said axle to oscillate horizontally.

'lhe wheel brackets 30, as shown, are provided with' forwardly projecting arms 3.5 that are connected hy a connecting har or rod 36 that holds the wheels i3 lor para ci said wheel brackets are provided with idly t secured inwardly projecting brake-ac tuating arms 37, which perform important functions already referred to and hereinein ter more folly describedu y The numeral 88 indicates a dried cro rod orshalt that is rigidly anchored to t? machine frame and is. extended transverse ol the machine in liront of the loralre drums 29, (see particularly igs. l. and 2.) This so-called cross rod or shalt 38 affords anchors for hrakelhands 39 and pivotal supports tor levers 4.0. Said brake hands sur-y round antico-operate, one with each ol the brake drums 29 and are anchored, at one end.7 each to one end ol said rod 3 8. The two levers l0 are independently pivoted on the ends ot' said rod, and, as shown, said levers are of angular forni, being provided, with offset elhowflilre .portions to' which band-connec threaded portions 'oiisaid rods ll are passed 'througlilpertorations in lugs l2 secured to lthe tree ends oi the respective hralre hands, and on said threaded ends are nuts 4:3, wh' permit adjustments to compensate ing length, wear andso forth, of the hralre hands.

lhe vripper ends oi' 'the hralre levers l0 independently connected to theorahe-operating arms 370i the steering wheel brackets, and, as shown, these connections are as iol-- lows: The numeral el indicates chains attached to the upper ends ol the brake levers d@ and to closely coiled tension springs l5, which springs, at their l'ront ends, are pro- The extended vided with threaded coupling bolts 46. The coupling bolts-46 are passed through perfo'- rations in the upturned ears of coupling heads 47 that are pivoted to the respective arms 37. To anchor the boltsl 46 to the heads 47and to provide for lonvitudinal adjustments of the flexible cable-like connections between the le vers and arms 37, said coupling bolts 46 are provided with nuts 48 applied thereto forward of the ears of said heads 47.

rl`he oscillatory steering post may be of any suitable form, but, as shown, comprises a metal tube 49-having a rear 'end head 49a and a frontend head 49h, which latter is.` rigidly secured to a depending sleeve 50 journaled in a suitable sleeve-like bearin' 51 that depends from thebase casting 10. or this and other details aboutto be described, attention is particularly called to Fi 1 and 4 to 7, inclusive. Rigidly secure to' the.I lower endv of the oscillatory sleeve 50' is an' arm 52, and rigidly but adjustably secured on the lower end of .the fixed sleeve like bearing. 5,1, by means of a set screw 53, is a yoke-like or open-sided hub 54. This socalled hub 54, at its rear side, is provided with a cam flange 55, the outer edge of which is concentric to the axis of the sleeve 50, but, at its central portion, is provided with a cam-acting depression 553. 'l j For co-operation with the notched camactingilange S5- 555, we provide the arm 52 with a spring-pressed centering plunger that co-operates w1th said cam flange or` with .a similar element to form what is herein designated vas a steering gear center-in device, and the function ol?l which is to y1eldingly hold the steering gear in a central or neutral position in which the front steering wheels 13 vwill loe parallel to the rear traction wheels and the machine. set for straight ahead travel.

As villustrated in the drawings, this centering device comprises a plunger 56- that works in a bearing bracket 57 secured on the arm 52 and is provided, at its linner end, with a roller .58 that -is enga cable with` the flange and its notch 55a. he plunger 56\ is yieldingl pressed inward by, a coiled spring `59-t at surrounds the same and --is compressed between the headthereof and an abutment screw`60 that' works with threaded engagement -in the outer lug or the bracket 51. As shown, the outer end of the plunger 56 works directly in said screw 60.

At its free end, the arm 52 has a segmental,

head provided with circumferentially spaced `perforations 52, (see particularly Figs. l

and 6). rlhe numeral 6l indicates a long connecting rod, the rear end of which is pivotally and adjustably connectibleto anyone of the perforations 52:L ofthe arm 52, and 'at its front end, is pivotall connectedto the offset elbow or portion o a lever 62, which, at one end, 'is pivotally connected to the nection with plows, cultivators or other ground-working implements, which, in a manner more fully disclosed in our pending v application above identied, are adapted to be swung laterally in respect to the tractor vloy manipulation of a handle barthat is pivoted to the free rear end of said steering 'j post. F or the purposes of this case, itis'sufcient to' note that for the purpose above stated, a suitalble transverse handle bar 63 3 is intermediately pivoted to the rear head 80 49 of the handle bar and is connected by a vrod 64 to an arm' 65 secured on the upper end of an upright shaft l66 that is extended through and journaled in the sleeve 50, al-

ready noted.V By oscillation of the shafts 66, .t6

the odsetting of the ground-working implements maybe accomplished Aby suitable means, such as that disclosedin our said pending application, but not necessary for wthe purposes of this case to further consider. t@

l @pcf/tation.

L The operation, .in a general way, has already been indicated, but, more definitely described, is substantially as follows:

In the adjustment of the so-cal'led steern ing post 49 villustrated in Fig. i, said. post` will be ina central rearwardly projected neutral or normal position when the steering gear or mechanism isset ,for straight ahead l@ 'travel of the tractor, that is,with the frontor steering wheels parallelA lto the traction wheels; but, in the adjustments of the parts shown Vby ull'lines in Fig. 4, saidsteering post vis set in an oblique or laterally o'set N5 position, while the steeringgear and steering wheels are still 'set as before noted for straight ahead travel of the imachine. To adjust the steering 'post -from its central.

neutral position to its oblique odset-neutral u@ l position, the arm y52 is moved forward and the rear end .of the connecting rod 61 lis pivotally connected to a more rearward perfora` tion 52 of said arm, and then to establish the old relation between said arm and the las.

cam Bange 5 5, the latter is correspondingly moved forward so that the plunger roller 58 'willv still be "engaged with the cam-notch 55S' of the cam ange 55. "Thus, it will be seen that to maintain/'the neutral oricenterd' con 12o dition 'of the steering gear,' 'itisjnecessary. for all adjustments of `the steering post to readjust parts so as to maintaf'un normal coi1- 'tact vbetween said roller and'cam notch 55?.

Olbviously, thesteering post can be set in va neutraal position either at the right or at the left, the adjustment toward the left,'in the construction illustrated, requiring pivotal connection between the rear end ,of the rod 61 and one of the forward pertorations 52 t3@ steering post 49 toward the right.

mediate ed'ect of this is set the front wheels i3 ololiquely for a turning movement toward the left, but the very act of doing `this will 'set the traction Wheel brake, at the left, under a friction proportional to the abruptness of the turn provided `lor hy the setting ol the steering Wheels, so that the rotationet the left-hand traction Tvvheel is then retarded and the rotation of the righthand traction Wheel accelerated through the differential gear mechanism., lfloreover,

t because the yielding actions oithe spririgs dll 45, the retardation oil'n the lett-hand traction wheel and the acceleration of the right-hand traction' Wheel Will he appro :mately pro-- portional the aloruptness oi Lie turn for which the steering set. @loviously, when the steering post is oscillated toward the left, ythe actions just described will lie reversed.,

The importance of the steering action. above ydescribed will he'lurther apparent when it considered that thewsteering action is produced not only hy the' proper and posiu tive setting of the steering Wheels, hut loy the cooperating power the engine, which. is lorought into action hy the very act of setting'said steering 'Wh-eels in their proper angular positions., Stated in still another Way, thesteering Wheels so that 'the tractor, when moved lor-vv yvvil-l turn the proper` curve',-i and the rf torce is diferentially applied to the in a manner which, itself, vvill naturally malte the 'tractor travel such ,niv/e, ln this' vvay, the vvorlrthat the' operator/perlorms inthe steering .action veryl light and the steering oi the tractor made certain and' positive ln spite of what h will he understood to cause, tor example, the r J ing wheel to run 'in f heen shove said, it "whenl it is desired. lithand steer furrow matically follow a lnrrovv, the adjustments between the connecting rod til. andthe Ahead of the 52- rnay he so asto cause the steering `Wheels to crowd slightly toward the left and, hence, cause the righthand steering Avvheel'to crown against, hut not to climb, the straight side ot the turrovve ln the modified arrangement illustrated actuated one side olf said tractor and vvl le action Wheels and to auto-,

caesars in Figsa 8 and 9, a modilied torni oi the steering gear centering device is illustrated, and, in this arrangement, one of the sleevelike end hearings 32, ofthe front axle 33, has a flattened surface t7 that is engaged by' a roller 68 carried hy the inner end of an inwardly spring-pressed plunger 69 mounted in one end of a lever 70, that is inm termediately pivoted on the'upper end of one of the Wheel bracket trunnions 3l, 'this arrangement, the steering arrn 37a, that correspondsI insome respects to one ci the arms' 37 previously described, is rigidly secured to the opper end ot' said trunnion 3l. and is adjustably .securalole ,to the lever 70 by a pin 7l that is insertahle into any one of several perlorations 'Y2-in said lever l0. ln this arrangement, one of the coupling heads l? is attached to the inner end oi the lever 70, f

"W ith this arrangement, the h'rahe device vvill be operated on'the general plan already described, hat the adjustment ot the elements of the centering device does not nee-d he changed vvhen the steering post is set ifrorn one to anotheY of its neutral positi ns, to vvit: either directly rearward or'olo ouely at .one side of the tractor, The centering device may he applied either to one ontohoth ol the steeringwheel brackets.

llhat We claim is: A

l.l A tractor having oscillatory ground-n engaging steering Wheel, and a manually rearwardly extended steering handle pivotallymounted at its iront end lor oscillatory movements transversely of the tractor, and operatively connected to said steering vvlieel while occupying a position tnus operatively ypositioned lor straight-ahead travel ot thev tractor, l j

2 A tractor having an oscillatory steering afhaal,4 manually operated\ steering handle, and.4r operative connections between said-handle andv steering Wheel including an adjustable coupling-that permits said handle to he set will, eith extended directlyv rearward or at one side the tractor vfhild positioned :tor straight ahead travel the tractor. l

vin a neutral lposition andthe steering gear set for straight ahead travel oi the tractor.

t. A tractor having laterally spaced traction Wheels, a propelling motor and dillerential gear for diderentially driv Y, said traction Wheels irons rnotor and steering means including a steering Wheel, a

l. il i,

tion wheels, a propel laterally spaced tracing motor,'a differen- -tial gear for differentially driving said `traction wheels from said motor, steering mechanism including a steering wheel and an oscillatory steering post, combined with a steering gear centering device normally operative to yieldingly hold said steering gear adjusted for straight ahead travel of the tractor, with said steering post extended obliquely to one side of the tractor.

6. A tractor having laterally spaced traction wheels, a propelling motor, a differential gear for differentially driving said traction wheels from said motor, .steering mechanism including a steering wheel and an oscil-f latory steering post, combined with a steering ear centering device normally operative to yieldingly hold said steering gear adjusted for straight ahead travel of the tractor,

with said steering post extended obliquely to,

one side of the tractor, and means whereby, at will, said steering post may be set in different transverse positions, while the steering gear is in neutral adjustment.

7. A tractor having laterally spaced traction wheels, a propelling motor, differential transmission mechanism for differentially driving said traction wheels from said tractor, and steering means including a steering wheel and a rearwardly extended laterally swinging steering post, combined with independent friction brakes, one for each of the traction'v wheels, actuated automatically by said steering'gearand operative to set the brake and retard the traction wheel that is on that side toward which the steering wheel is setto turn the tractor.

.8. A tractor having traction wheels, steering wheels, a rearwardly extended laterally swinging steering post having connections for oscillating said steering wheels, friction brakes, one for eachof said traction wheels,y

and independent brake-setting connectionsactuated automatically to set Ithe brake and retard the traction wheel that is on that side toward which said steering wheels are set to turn the tractor.

9. A tractor having traction wheels, steering wheels, a rearwardly extended laterally swinging steering post having connections for oscillating said steering wheels, friction brakes, one for each of said traction Wheels,

and independent brake-setting connections l actuated automatically to setthe brake and retard the traction wheel that is on that side toward which said steering wheels are set to turn the tractor, said brake-setting connections including springs for the purpose set forth.

10. A tractor having traction wheels, steering wheels, wheel brackets to which said steering wheels are'journaled, a propelling motor, .differential transmission mechanism. for differentially driving said traction Wheels from-said motor, a friction brake for each traction'wheel, each including a brake lever, armsv connected to oscillate with said steering wheel brackets, fiexible yielding connections between saidarms and the respective brake levers, and a rearwardly extended-transversely oscillatory steering post connected to said steering wheel brackets and operating substantially as described.

11. A tractor having traction wheels, steering wheels, a steering gear, a propelling motor and differential transmission mechanism, combined with independent friction brakes, one'for each traction wheel, actuated by said steering gear and operative to set thel brakes and retard rotation of the traction wheel that is on thaty side toward which the steering wheels are set to turn the tractor, and a yieldingv steering gear .centering device tending to hold the steering gear positioned for straight ahead traveling of the tractor but adapted to yield when either of said friction brakes is set to cause the tractor to turn out of the straight line of travel.

In testimony whereof we aiix our signatures. e

FREDRICK A. vALEN'rNE. RoBERr D. VALENTINE. 

